Support Women Artists Sunday: St. Vincent

St. Vincent

Annie Erin Clark (born September 28, 1982) is an American multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter who performs under the moniker St. Vincent. She was a member of The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens’ touring band.

Annie Clark was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She began playing the guitar at the age of 12 and, as a teenager, worked as the tour manager for her uncle’s band Tuck & Patti. She grew up in Dallas and attended Lake Highlands High School, graduating in 2001. Following this, she went on to attend Berklee College of Music, before dropping out three years later. Shortly afterward, she joined The Polyphonic Spree. In 2003, during her time at Berklee, she released an EP with fellow students, entitled Ratsliveonnoevilstar.

Clark joined Sufjan Stevens’ touring band in 2006, bringing with her a tour EP entitled Paris Is Burning. It contains three tracks, including a cover version of Jackson Browne’s “These Days”.
Clark released her debut album, Marry Me, July 10, 2007 on Beggars Banquet Records. Named after a line from the television show Arrested Development, the LP features appearances from drummer Brian Teasley (Man or Astro-man?, The Polyphonic Spree), Mike Garson (David Bowie’s longtime pianist), and horn player Louis Schwadron (The Polyphonic Spree).

Her stage name is a reference to Saint Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center where the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas died in 1953. “It’s the place where poetry comes to die,” she has said. “That’s me.”
In 2008, Clark was nominated for three PLUG Independent Music Awards: New Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, and Music Video of the Year. On March 6, 2008, she won the PLUG Female Artist of the Year award.

Her second album, Actor, was released by 4AD Records on May 5, 2009 and cracked the US top 100 charts.

Annie has worked with bands such as The New Pornographers and The National.